


Objectivity and Companionship

by innerslytherin



Series: The Fifth Year [20]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-04
Updated: 2010-07-04
Packaged: 2017-10-10 09:33:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/98189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innerslytherin/pseuds/innerslytherin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily talks to Dave about the past, and Aaron dances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Objectivity and Companionship

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [](http://resolucidity.livejournal.com/profile)[**resolucidity**](http://resolucidity.livejournal.com/) for the beta. **Spoilers for "Solitary Man".** This one's short, but I might do another for this ep...we'll see.

  
Van Morrison's whiskey-rich voice filled the den, a quiet song about healing that was mellowing Dave even better than the glass of bourbon had. He'd built a fire when they got home, because he had long since noticed how snuggling in the flickering light seemed to make Emily feel better. He'd poured them both a glass of Maker's Mark and tugged her down onto the couch with him, but he'd been waiting for her to speak first. Finally, after their glasses were emptied and refilled and half empty again, she did.

"A couple of cases before you joined the team, I told Hotch I wanted to take one of the kids home with me."

Dave almost laughed, because he could just imagine how appalled Aaron must have been. Fortunately he was able to suppress the urge. "I can't imagine he liked that idea much."

Emily snorted and took a sip of whiskey. "He said he needed me to be objective about our job."

Dave nodded. It was true, but it wasn't _all_, and he wondered if Emily had ever realized how much Aaron probably wanted to take those kids home with him too.

"I'm good at being objective," Emily said. She curled into Dave's embrace and took a deep breath. "To be objective, I ask myself what my mother would do. What I have trouble with is admitting what I want."

Dave tightened his arm around her. He didn't entirely understand, but he could feel her body seeking comfort from his. He'd never been good at really being what a woman needed, but that wasn't because he didn't try.

"I was jealous of Hotch," Emily confessed. "I told him I needed to be human." She shifted against him. "I was trying to hurt him, to imply that he _wasn't_ human. I don't know if he took it that way, but I've always been ashamed of that."

Dave stroked his fingers through her hair. He actually sort of loved that he had no idea where she was going with this. It occurred to him that Emily was the first woman he really loved listening to, more than the sound of his own voice. He learned so much from her.

"I still wanted to take Jody home with me," Emily said. She sighed and took a long sip of her drink.

Dave thought about that. Any child whose life had been touched by a serial killer would be a challenge. Such a child would need extra love, extra attention. Hell, even Jack Hotchner would probably have a hell of a therapy bill before he could legally drink.

...But he could see it. Emily had so much love in her, just waiting for someone to pour it all into. Dave knew he was only one part of that equation. It was one of many reasons to love Emily Prentiss: she loved and needed Dave, but he wasn't _all_ she needed.

"If that's what you want," he said, after a few more minutes of careful thought, "I will move heaven and earth to make it happen."

Emily was silent for a while, but her arms tightened around him. Finally she murmured, "Her aunt came forward to take custody. But I love that you said that."

"I would do just about anything in my power to make you happy," Dave said.

He meant it completely.

***

Aaron had never danced with Spencer like that. Somehow Spencer couldn't find it in him to be jealous.

Jessica and Jack had met them at Aaron's apartment. Jack had eaten but he'd needed a bath. Spencer cleaned mud off his shoes while Aaron and Jack splashed in the tub. He'd had a glass of wine ready for Aaron by the time Jack was clean and sleepy in his footed pajamas.

The three of them sat on the sofa, Jack squished in securely between Aaron and Spencer. Aesop's Fables and _A Boy's Book of Fairy Tales_ had proven so far to be good investments, though Spencer was anticipating a tactical retreat to Narnia in the next six months, if Jack kept demanding stories at this rate.

After the story, Aaron agreed to some music, provided Jack would try to sleep. As some band Spencer didn't recognize sang about coloring the world with love, Aaron stood up and, to Jack's obvious joy, began swaying in slow circles.

He held Jack tight, his son's head tucked under Aaron's chin. His eyes were closed, the lines of his face relaxed into a small smile.

Spencer thought about his mother and the Valentine's poem by Chaucer she had read to him, and he thought he understood why Aaron danced with his son. And later, when Jack was tucked in bed with his teddy bear snuggled in the crook of his elbow and the nightlight on, Aaron and Spencer put the song on again and swayed together in the dimness of the living room.  



End file.
